an espresso with…
The Bloomfields
THEIR UNDENIABLE CHARM MAKES THEM PHILIPPINE MUSIC’S NEWEST HEARTTHROBS AND THEY NEVER FAIL TO WOW THE CROWD. NADINE MADARANG CHATS WITH THE COOL AND CRAZY BLOOMFIELDS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN ROXAS
YOU’RE YOUNG KIDS SINGING OLD SONGS. HOW DO PEOPLE REACT?
ROCKY: We were lucky because people liked our music from the start. The real reason why we play this genre is that people like it more than the angst-driven rock that bands of our age usually play.
JAY JAY: Hearing the song “Do You Wanna Dance” by Cliff Richard on the radio started it all. We tried playing it in one of our jam sessions and we all liked it. Luckily, our audience liked it, too.
WHY THE MATCHING OUTFITS?
JAY JAY: We want to look good!
LOUIE: It’s not just about the music. It’s the whole package. It wouldn’t be solid 1960s without the suits.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE AND INTERESTING GIG, SO FAR?
JJ: We were asked to go to Hawaii by their Consul General to perform for their Filipino Independence Day celebration. We were so honored! Our album launch was also memorable as the place was packed.
PP: Our gig in the University of Santo Tomas was interesting. They threw beer bottles at us! L: It was our first time to experience the whole… [growls and jeers]. Wrong crowd I guess, but everyone else enjoyed it.
R: At least we weren’t the only band they threw beer bottles at!
IN WHICH DESTINATION IN THE PHILIPPINES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR FREE TIME?
LOUIE: Davao’s Pearl Farm.
PP: Boracay and El Nido, Palawan.
R: I’m a homeboy so I’d prefer to just stay in my room. But if I had to choose, I’d go to Cebu… via Cebu Pacific!
L: Davao. I heard the seafood there is good.
JJ: Davao.
HOW DO YOU KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ALL THE FANS?
R: We connect with them via our website. That’s where all our fans meet up.
WHY IS YOUR SELF-TITLED ALBUM A MUST-HAVE?
JJ: It will make you happy on a really bad day.
LAKAN: The packaging alone is worth your money. Plus, the music is different: it’s old music with a modern twist
PP: One word to describe this album: ‘Good vibes!’ Oops, that’s two words…
BESIDES BEING A MUSICIAN, WHAT ELSE DO YOU DREAM OF DOING?
LOUIE: I’ll go into either design or fine arts. PP: I’ll venture into a business, try my hand at real estate.
JJ: I’d still like to be a musician. I’d like to become an arranger or jingle composer. Music is my real passion.
L: Anything to do with electronics and gadgets. R: I could be a radio jock. I could also go into design. Louie and I can be business partners!
COMPLETE THIS SENTENCE: I LOVE BEING IN THE BLOOMFIELDS BECAUSE…
L: …It feels like we’re professionals. The Bloomfields is actually a corporation. We’re registered as The Bloomfields Band Music Incorporated, so this is not just our band, but our very own business, as well.
PP: …We also get to communicate a positive message to our listeners, so hopefully, we get to inspire people along the way.
JJ: …I’m working and enjoying life at the same time.
L: …I get to travel around the Philippines.
R: …I love what it means to be a Bloomfield and everything that comes with it: the perks, the professionalism, even the girls! The experience is amazing and life-changing. I love what it’s done to me as a person.
L: It has really helped us grow. The whole band matured and not just musically…
LK: … but also in terms of our attitudes…
L: We’ve become much more disciplined in our work.
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